Grooming Cheats -- Pro Gamers Debate the Rules of Hygiene

It's a brash cliché that all gamers are fat, pale slobs with social skills limited to online acronyms and screaming over wireless headsets. The good news is, only some of that is true. In the age of Wii Fit and major-league competitive gaming, more people game now than ever before.

In this more mainstream arena, is it important for gamers to clean up after themselves, or is it irrelevant? We caught up with two professionals on opposite sides of the divide: 18-year-old pro gamer Bryan Rizzo, aka "Legit," "Halo 3" master and member of Str8 Rippin, the 2008 MLG national champions; and 35-year-old Steve Sobe, three-time "Golden Tee" national champion.

Dr. Pepper and Chips Do a Body Good
Stuffing your face with Doritos and pizza may sound like good ol' stereotyped gamer behavior, but not if you actually want to win.

"I would never eat pizza while gaming," says Legit. "It's so greasy. You touch a controller and can't even shoot, your hands are so slippery." His "Halo" snacks of choice: "I like having an Dr. Pepper and chips. I like goldfish. Anything snack-size is all you need." Keep it small, space-age and bite-size. "Once you die, you get a handful ... anything quick that won't leave anything on your hands and controller."

"Eating while playing is not allowed in competition," says Sobe. "It's the fastest way to ruin a trackball." Even if it weren't, pizza's definitely off the menu: "The slightest bit of grease can hinder the trackball's performance." Although liquid is allowed, Sobe still keeps it away from the gaming. "If you spill a drink on a trackball, it's pretty much ruined and will need to be replaced."



Do you really have to shower? How about exercise? What's the most important thing to keep clean? Answers to these questions, and more, after the jump.

You Have to Shower, Even If You're Dating a Lady-Gamer
Just because half the attendees at the game convention / pro-gaming competition / your living room choose not to bathe doesn't mean you have to follow suit. Clean body, clean mind -- and it won't hurt with attracting the opposite sex.

"If you want to impress someone, take care of yourself," says Rizzo, who insists that, even if the girl's a gamer, she'll like you to invest in a little self-care. "Stay attractive. Stay healthy. You can't impress anyone if you're 30 pounds overweight and you smell. No one would be attracted to that. You've got to take care of yourself even if you're dating a gamer girl. You've got to shower."

Sobe gives no relationship advice, but as far as tournaments go: "Appearance doesn't matter at all unless you are at the tournament looking for a significant other. Just wear clothes and you should be good to go."

Dirty Hands Can Cost You the Game
Okay, so it may not be necessary to wash the rest of your body if all you're doing is playing games, but a good hand-scrub can prevent a case of the old slippery-palm and protect your prized controller.

"I have a huge bottle of hand sanitizer I keep pumping," says Rizzo. "I dry them off real quick. It makes your hands feel brand new again. My whole team likes doing it. During the summer last year, we went through bottles in between games."

Adds Sobe, "Some players have a problem with "clammy" hands ... Small towels are often helpful in keeping the trackball free from moisture." Follow his advice or suffer a drop in self-esteem at your own peril. "If your hands feel slick, accuracy will suffer as well as your confidence."

The Gamer's Body Is a Temple
Believe it or not, being physically fit will make you play better, whether or not you're strapped to a Wii Balance Board or a DDR mat.

Although Rizzo used to play high-school football before "Halo" sucked him into the competitive circuit, that's not the only reason he still works out regularly. "I always try to run or go to the gym or do push-ups around the house, especially when a tournament's coming," he says. "When your body's healthy and you feel healthy, you play better. You're healthy and you're happy." However, that doesn't mean you won't fall off the wagon from time to time when a 2 a.m. match gets out of hand: "You have to pop in a hot pocket sometimes."

Keep Your Equipment Clean
If there's one rule for controller hygiene, let it be this one: Keep your controller from going to sh*t.

"Controllers are so big, it's like having your bat in baseball," says Rizzo. "If you game on them for a while -- especially with the 360 -- dead skin catches up on the corners. I analyze it, and if there's anything on it I scrape it off. It hate it, it just looks so bad. I just scratch it off with my nails and wipe it with a towel."

Sobe feels similarly obsessive with "Golden Tee": "The trackball must stay free from dirt, dust and grease for it to perform at a high level where it will read accurately."

If there's a second rule for controller hygiene, then let it be: Don't lend your favorite controller out to your friends; give them a crappy one instead. "Hands off my controller," says Rizzo. "I've got tons of controllers for other people. I give them one of those, not the ones I use. You don't want anyone else using it. No way."